text:
"..I flushed before leaving"
"I hate cabbages."
" I would have chosen a donkey as an imperial colleage but Max was less trouble"
He was built like a Roman brick bathhouse and possibly one of the ugliest man to become Roman Emperor in the 3rd century AD. History knows him as Maximian 'Mulcher' (Maximian Brutalus Biceps) (c. 250 – c. July 31), emperor 285-305, 306-308, 310. He co-ruled the Roman Empire with Diocletian from 285 to 305 until forced to take a 'new career move' by being compulsory retired. But like an old boxer, Maximian found retirement tiresome and boring and made two more comebacks until his own son-in-law and rival Emperor Constantine the Great 'persuaded' him to go hang himself or face a public execution. It was a tatty end to an imperial career but justly deserved for Maximian.
If Maximian had a motto it would have been 'ignorance and loyal'. Born in Belgrade, Maximian was drafted into the Roman army at a very early age. Fighting and brawling (in uniform) were his meat and drink and all night taverna wine crawls, a regularity. It would have been hard to see what future Maximian was going to achieve though to his friends surprise, he was convential enough to have a family by wife Eutropia. From this marriage he would have a son Maxentius and Fausta, later wife of Constantine.
When Diocletian reunited the Roman empire under his rule, it was a surprise when the emperor pulled Maximian away from his bar room antics to make him an imperial Deputy under the title of Caesar in 285. A year later Maximian got upgraded to Augustus and therefore Diolcletian's equal. However an added title of 'Jupiter' for Diocletian and 'Hercules' for Maximian indicated the true balance between the two men. If Maximian was aware of Diocletian's subtle political oneupmanship, he didn't show it. Maximian had failed the idiot test. He would make an ideal colleague for Diocletian.
Since Diocletian preferred to stay out East, Maximian moved to Italy to run his half of the Roman Empire. It was expected Maximian would be based in Rome but Maximian had no wish do be sneered at by the Roman elite class. They saw themselves as the heirs of Cicero, Pliny and Virgil and had previously mocked emperors before for their bad latin and uncouth table manners. Instead Maximian chose as his capital Milan. It was more of a surface city where what you looked liked too you further than what you knew. Maximian said he needed to be 'closer to the borders' and preferred cutting and slashing his enemies than to suffer whispered contempt behind marble pillars.
Diocletian had chosen well as Maximian showed no inclination to rebel or attempt to reconquer all the Roman Empire under his control. When Diocletian introduced his new 'Tetrarchy' system of of government, Maximian appears not to have understood what this meant. There were to be Four rulers of the Roman Empire, two as Augustus level with another two Constantius the Colourless and Galerius at the supposed junior level as Caesar. Maximian's area of control was thus in effect halved but he saw that as less work for him to do and spent more time in carousing around pubs and brothels with his close friends.
Officially there were only four rulers of the Roman empire but they were joined by a fifth when the fleet commander Carausius proclaimed himself emperor in Britannia in 286. It seemed a minor problem and Maximian commissioned the appropriate victorious poetry and statues once he had crushed the Brits. Carausias had other ideas and invaded Gaul instead, chasing Maximian as far south as he dared. This was a grave insult and Diocletian was tempted to remove his useless old friend, with or without pushing Maximian off a high ledge. Yet once again Diocletian hesitated, there was a danger Maximian's replacement would be more dangerous to him. In the end Carausias saved Maximian's career when he was killed by his deputy Allectus and the whole mess in Britannia fixed with a successful invasion by Constantius in 296. Allectus was killed and Carausias's bones dug up and fed to the dogs
Persecution Complex[edit]
Maximian's imperial policy was stay in power but since he had no ideas, he had to rely on Diocletian to come up them. It's fairly certain that Maximian just signed (more likely stamped) what was put in front of him and went back to his drinking and whoring. Instructions were also sent by Diocletian about the status of an emperor, no longer a Prince 'first citizen' but as the Domus, Lord Absolute. You could no longer shake hands but had to lie belly down, prostate on the floor when introduced to the imperial prescence. Very often this would lead to farcical scenes with Maximian (if he had been drinking) equally lying on the floor in a pool of vomit and alcohol when receiving visitors.
So when Diocletian declared war against the Christians for refusing to say or print nice things about him, Maximian signed that too. He had no illusions that he was actually Hercules Reborn and didn't show much enthusiasm for Diocletian's attempt to 'man up' the Roman Empire by introducing full throttle paganism. Maximian believed in spirits all right, the ones in his drink cabinet. Still orders were orders (even if you co-signed them) and Christians who caused a fuss or caused trouble were dealt with. Maximian saw Christian martyrs as trouble makers, spitting on sacred entrails or interrupting temple worship by trying to topple over statues. They rebelled, they died. Later on when Maximian was dead, his memory as that of his colleague were to be equally damned and that Maximiam had holy blood on his coarse, rough hands.
Retirement and then a Comeback Or Two[edit]
It's probably Maximian didn't actually believe Diocletian would retire, perhaps he had heard it many times before. His friend had vegetables to fall back on but Maximian had no other discernable interests. Then in 305 the message came through from Nicomedia to Milan, Maximian would have to retire and be replaced by Constantius as emperor and new caesar by the name of Severus would join the Tetrarchy.
Maximian's retirement party in Milan was a strange affair. The former 'Dominator Maximus' removed his purple cloak and placed it on a table. Constantius wasn't there and nor was Severus either. Maximian's son Maxentius was present, angry that he hadn't become Caesar and promptly blanked his father once he ceased to be emperor. All of Maximian's drinking friends melted away and by the end of the evening, Maximian was sitting alone with his leaving presents and the keys to his retirement villa.
When he arrived there with his daughter Fulvia, there was a list of local 'veterans' associations and Vintage Chariot racing clubs he could join. Maximian made a half hearted attempt to get involved but felt like a dead man walking. There had never been an example of an emperor abdicating and now he knew why. He just wasn't feeling safe.
In 306 the news that Constantius had died in Britannia and that his son Constantine had been proclaimed his successor made the situation in the West confused. Severus was now emperor and tried to co-opt Constantine as his caesar. However in Rome Maxentius though he should be emperor and made himself imperial ruler. Now there five emperors and caesars (in the East there was Galerius and his caesar Maximinimal) and when Maximian arrived in Rome to 'reclaim' his power, that made it six. Diocletian's 'system' had broken down.
Perhaps Maximian was hoping to be senior to his son and they would take on Severus and Constantine together. Severus was soon out of the game, losing his army and surrendering. Just to make sure he didn't change his mind, Maximian and Maxentius had Severus 'severed'. Now seemed the perfect opportunity to bring Diolcetian out of his 'stupid retirement' and go back to ruling the empire. But Diocletian stayed retired, alone with his cabbage patch and told Maximian he should let go of his purple booties too. Still under the influence of his mentor, Maximian struck a deal with Constantine:Marry my daughter Faustia, it's a bargain! Then I will go quietly.Constantine agreed but told Maximian to pay for the wedding.
Drop Dead Max[edit]
Along the way Maximian appears to have forgotten about his son Maxentius with all his deal making and fixing. His son didn' take to this treatment at all well and told his father to pack his bags and get out of Italy. When Maximian refused to move, Maxentius had all his father's medals, trophies, drinking mugs and mosaics destroyed or dug up. He was given a week to go.
Maximian retreated to Gaul, cursing his ungrateful son. He moved in with Fausta and Constantine, being given a wing of one of their palaces. It wasn't a happy reunion and within a few months Constantine had banned Maximian from all breakfast and dinner time meals. Maximian tried to persuade his daughter to kill Constantine - or failing that, allow him into their bedroom so he could have a stab at 'the shit' himself. She betrayed her own father and told Constantine.
It must have been an odd final meeting. Constantine told Maximian he knew all about the plot and asked his father-in-law if he felt suicidal that day. When Maximian showed signs of being slow once again on the uptake, Constantine threw down a sword at his Maximian's sandals.
Be quick about it Maximian. You could have stayed retired or shacked up with Diocletian in his oversized greenhouse. Now go, I am going out to dinner with Fausta tonight.
Taking orders once again, Maximian did what he was asked. There was no 'Nero-like speech or any talk at all. Maximian just did it without protest.
See Also[edit]
|Preceded by:
|Roman Emperor
285-305, 306-308, 310
|Succeeded by:
Constantine the Great


text: Pizzaboy2600 and myself are getting hitched up in 2 weeks and then honeymooning in New Orleans. We're going down 2 different ways, Shreveport and then south of 10 and coming up into New Orleans from the south and then coming home the river road the whole way. Does anyone have any suggestions for not to miss caches on the way down or back or while we're there. We plan on hitting all the ones in the French Quarter, but want to make sure our other stops are worth it and good ones. Any tips are appreciated. Thanks!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Posts Tagged 'sweden'
Nyköping to Kalmar
And it is raining.
Marika's gift is a bottle of tabasco. 'I want to give it to you with a message' she says. 'Everything in life should be taken with a bit of spice'. I promise to pass it on.
I've got plenty of time in the morning. A petrol station offers full buffet breakfast for next to nothing and I'm happily stuffing myself. Getting seriously addicted to the tubed caviar – especially with boiled eggs. Or in sandwiches. Or with anything.
The weather is clearing up. What's left are the puddles and wet grass in the shade. Looking for a place for lunch and picking smaller roads next to the sea I end up on some rocky camping grounds. Smoothness of red and brown rocks, interwoven only with patches of grass and roots of pine trees, go right into the sea. People are swimming, the sun is at its full blast and I'm happy to shed my biking gear. The water is bracing but so clear and pleasant – it's my first swim since Luleå.
A guy with a couple of kids play ball and he strikes up a conversation first about the water. Then about football. I probably wasn't nodding in the right places as he quickly realised it wasn't the best subject. 'Where are you coming from?' 'London, but the long way around the sea, through St Petersburg' 'Are you driving?' 'No, by bike' He whistles. 'How many miles do you do a day?' 'About 150-200, give or take' He is looking amused.
I jump from the diving board a couple of times and go back to my stuff on the rocks. 'Hey Englishman!' I turn around. There's the guy and his whole family under a tree, he points at my biking gear 'You are on a motorbike! I thought you were cycling, now I'm not that impressed any more. Do you want some coffee?' They stopped for picknick before going to Oxelösund to see a huge nuclear safe bunker that was built to defend Sweden against Soviet invasion.
'I shouldn't talk bad about russia then.' Of course you should. 'You've got so much forest, so much space – huge potential. But never used.' I nod.
Because I left so early I got to Kalmar much earlier and have about 2 hours to spare until Maria comes back from work. Kalmar itself is well looked after, the streets of cobblestone. I stop for a coffee and a delicious coconutty cake in a typical coffee shop, crowded, I squeeze through to the far end with all my gear. Debating with myself about whether I have time for Öland or not and Öland wins – it feels like even a peek would be worth the trip. I've been looking forward to it.
The bridge is long and windy. The island looks tamed near the bridge but the feeling dissolves quickly as you go further along the coast and towards the south point of the needle like shape. Dying to pee and although I'm in the middle of fields there is nowhere to hide – I'm always in view of the road or windows. The rain spits every now and again, the landscape changes every minute, barren, fields, bushes, stone, colours merge one into another, bunches of old windmills and wind farms on the horizon are spinning like crazy.
Charming and quiet Maria talks to her cat and all animals. Her house in Orrefors, near the crystal factory, used to be a school. The school was closed because it's a bit too near and a possibility of contamination. Fine for adults though and Maria's flat is in the attic.
'You've got a few copies of the same book' 'I liked the covers so I bought them'.
After dinner we set off to her friend Anna's to look after her house. It's getting dark but the forest road is gorgeous. We spot a cow on the road and Maria stops for us to try and figure out whose it is – it shouldn't be walking about. After trying a couple of houses the owners are found and the whole family sets off to catch the beast.
Anna's house is in the woods, guarded by a grey wolfhound – massive, kind and deceptively quiet. 'But when he smells a deer and you see him go, you really don't want to be on the deer's side.' We open up the house, it smells of wood and a bit of mould and homely, like a country house would. Anna rents it and lives there with her kids, there are family pictures on the wall.
They have three horses, chickens and all kind of stuff growing in the garden. I walk around the house as the evening descends before we settle in for a nightcap and a chat.
Gävle to Nyköping
Olle's gift is a pyramid. It was left to him by his ex wife and we tread carefully on relationships. Olle has 'widowed' as his relationship status on Facebook. But giving it away, it feels like's getting rid of something for him, just as I felt giving away the first wooden statue that started the project. The pyramid is made out of stone. I put it next to the sleeping bag, in the bag on the saddle, praying it will be ok. If I left it in one of the inner bags, aided by vibrations, it would've poked the hell out of everything in there.
I challenge the satnav and take smaller roads towards the coast, eventually I end up in a resort town of sorts. Getting a pizza for lunch plus a couple of coffee refills.
A disheveled guy approaches me at the car park and tries to make a conversation. I had a Harley, he says, very heavy. Is yours heavy? He reaches out and tries to lift it up by a handle, I grab his hand. You better not, mate, you'll drop it. I ask to take a photograph of him. He smells of wine.
Puffing, I roll out the bike backwards, two older guys on the bench are watching. I smile and nod and set off, trying to look natural.
There is something I marked on the map and I can't remember what it is. It's taking me a bit out of the way and onto a forest path. There is some archeological site or something of that sort and I'm driving slowly, trying not to miss it. And I missed it – I can't see anything there that's worth looking at. Nevertheless, I drive all the way until it ends at somebody's house. The fields are marked with electrocution signs, must be to keep horses in? Or out.
Meeting Marika. We walk around town, moving towards the harbour. The castle on the way. We talk about the town and Marika tells me the story about the key that was thrown into the river. It was the key from a cell in which a king's locked his two brothers. He starved them to death. That's what Nyköping is famous for.
It's a quiet town. Amusing demolition works, the silo with bits sticking out. I am mesmerised.
We are dining in one of the places on the promenade. There was something happening earlier but we were a bit too late for that, we arrive just as everyone leaves. I tell Marika about that music event in Gävle. She is quiet and laughs easily, we don't talk about anything in particular, we just talk about life.
It's starting to rain and we are catching a cab back.
Oh, hello Tony. The toilet brush looks like Tony Blair. I'm not sure if that was the maker's intention.
Marika has to leave early next morning, 'I'd feel bad to kick you out if it was raining'.
Umeå to Gävle
The next day I spend exploring their house, sacrificing Sundsvall for a day of rest. I have to make up for it tomorrow but I think it will be worth it. The massive boiler dominates the bathroom, toilet paper roll on a stand deserves it's on space in the middle, entangled cacti on the window cell, two chairs with baby shoes on the wall in between, chickens, cellar for fruit and veg, shed with a bread oven – have they ever used it? That would be a cool thing to do.
The day is spent catching one's breath – surfing the net, chatting, photographing. It's a sunny morning and we are outside in the garden but clouds come again in the afternoon and bring some drizzle with them. That's when we decide to go out for a swim. The first lake isn't usable, the second looks great, even if it's getting rather cold and wet. It should feel warmer in the water. And it does.
Anders works in a travel agent, Tore is a gardener. They collect sand from all the beaches they've been to. In the evening, over another glass of wine we teach each other rude words in Russian and Swedish. I can't remember what they taught me – maybe it's for the best – there's still a half of the country to go through.
Their gift is a box of seeds, the metal box was given to Tore by his father, it has a few compartments. The seeds are of different sorts of sweet chilli and tomato, as they go well together. Alongside with a note in Swedish and a couple of chocolates. Olle will be able to read it. I hope he likes tomatoes. But even if he doesn't, it doesn't matter – it's a gift.
An early start the next morning – I have about 350 miles to go to get to Gävle, even if cutting some of the route. The guys give me a packed lunch and I roll the bike out of their garage. It's been a wonderful day and a half.
To do the distance in reasonable time most of the way has to be on a motorway. But it's ok – even the motorway has gorgeous sweeps as one comes to Sundsvall. I stop for lunch just before Höga Kusten Bridge – the tallest bridge in Sweden to look at the scenery. The temperature is dropping and the wind on the bridge is a bit scary.
In the afternoon I stop by what's called an antique shop. A bric-a-brac rather. I drive a bit further, all the way to the water, around the warehouse building. The wooden platform that is bobbing up and down, making me produce a bunch of blurred photos with tilted horizons. That's where I have some more fish paste and bread. The clouds are taking over in the afternoon again. Some museum, the ship, railway bits and the shop. I walk up and down the corridor, it's stuffed with everything from mildly interesting to a complete junk, a smell of wood and mould. Small things I'm after, in one of the cupboards there are some shot glasses and other cutlery. I pick up one of the metal (tin?) mini mugs – it looks like it's made out of metal, with a [sheep] embossed on it, some writing alongside. I take it and walk up and down again. And then again. And again, trying to find anyone to ask about it or pay for it.
When I get to Gävle it's sunny again. Olle Oljud is shouting hello from his window on the N-th floor. Oljud means cacophony. He's got a balcony and a great view.
Sound designer, artist, composer, however you call it, Olle is a talented creative. What's your favourite sound? He thinks for a while. Steps on gravel. I'm listening to my steps, the sound never leaves me for the rest of the walk.
Gävle is small and charming, the river runs in the middle, some festival is kicking in, gathering a crowd in the middle. We decided to stay out of it. We agree that it's way to popular for both of us.
Olle shows me a graffiti underpass, he left his trace there too.
It's getting darker and I'm sleeping on the futon, in the same room. Funny how light changes, I'm only a couple of days away from the midnight sun. We listen to warped white noise, different frequencies and controlled clicks – all kinds of home made Olle's sound boards – his neighbours must be amused. I'm thinking of those Tate live sound events with Ova, Scanner and those people as I'm falling to sleep.
Luleå to Umeå
You know you're in Sweden when people talk about driving snow mobiles and have mashed caviar spread for breakfast. But at least I learnt that å actually sounds more like o than a. After the loneliness of Finland and reservedness of Gällivare I am glad to be in the warmth of a friendly place. But saying bye to Cecilia and me and Jakob are setting off to see the Storforsen – a humongous current in the north east from Luleå. It's not exactly on the way but well worth seeing.
Jakob's object is vial of cyruped birch sap. It's very nutritious and was done more as an experiment than anything else. He took it out of the freezer, the vessel has that white porcelain top with a rubber ring and a metal spring, but but the sap should keep for a while even if melted. That's what makes the project go ahead – a little thoughtful artefact that tells a bit about Jakob's thoughts.
In addition, Cecilia gives me a tiny felt rabbit she made. I'm not giving that one away.
We unwrap the gift from Santa Claus I give them – it's a snowball. That anti stress thing that you squeeze hard when want to calm your nerves – it makes the sound of a real snow. It has a white rubbery slightly textured surface and Cecilia says it must be stuffed with rice. It's pleasantly heavy and comfortable to hold.
Jakob's bike is one of those dirt ones, caked in mud and with an extra large fuel tank wrapped around it. He kicks it into action. I'm thinking of ride we did with Jan in Pärnu along the coast as I avoid lumps of mud falling off Jakob's bike and jumping on the tarmac.
Storforsen or 'Big Stream' (no shit) is a natural reserve. That landscape of polished stone and pine trees, where the rapid used to cover the entire area but now tamed and reduced to the stream. Nevertheless, it has an awe inspiring force. The wooden bridges and viewing platforms erected next to it are there to protect one but you can only feel it's strength by standing on the rocks next to it. The energy, the unimaginable masses of water, the sublime natural force that makes you feel very small and feeble. The rock plateau underneath the clear sheet of water seems so near but completely inaccessible as the innumerable tons of water that pass there every minute would reduce you to vapour within seconds.
In the smaller streams and pools around the area people are swimming and jumping into from rocks. It's extremely tempting but the time (and clouds) stand in our way – it's about to start raining and we left our gear uncovered next to the bikes. We should rush back to the parking lot and cross the swimming off the list.
Some more palt stuff in the local cafe, followed by waffles. The rain really does it, we got there just in time. Books, films and the usual chat makes the time pass before we can set off again. On the way back we pass the village where Jakob grew up and say goodbye shortly afterwards.
I'm on my way to Umeå, wondering which way the clouds go and hoping we are not going in the same direction – the rain is still here. I'm getting quite late, so wouldn't like to do much stopping. But do twice just to adjust my helmet, have some water and one of those pastries from yesterday.
The Myrbäck village consists of 6 houses, it's about 20 miles away from Umeå. Tore and Anders are walking towards me with the dog as I clumsily ride up towards their garage. It's a wonderful house, homely and stylish. We start with whiskey, just before dinner, later switch to wine, they even found some Kilkenny and I'll have to think about describing the house tomorrow as tonight we are getting sloshed.
Gällivare to Luleå
Not much else to do in Gallivare in the morning and after a walk I do end up in the same hotel for breakfast, amongst other slightly bored tourists. Regular breakfast, I'm getting quite used to those – ham, cheeses, pastries, fruit. Lots of coffee. And an extra apple to take with me. It became a routine – collect things scattered around the room, replenish the thermos and the squished bottle with water from a tap, stick everything in the boxes (thank heavens, Ioannis and BMW for the inner bags), strap the sleeping bag onto the bike, attach and adjust the video camera, check the route on the sat nav – all the waypoints are where they are supposed to be. Switch the ignition on and warm the bike a little. Ear plugs… check. Helmet and strap… check. Gloves on. Off we go… Oh, bollocks, forgot the glasses. Stop. Gloves off, glasses on, gloves on again. Now we can go.
The sleepy mining town of Malmberget. Stormy clouds are hanging over the Dundret threatening to turn the sunny morning into a very wet one indeed. But I can't stay any longer to wait for it to pass, so just have to bite it and go.
The ore mining (research) destroyed the insides of the mountain and a gaping hole appeared in the middle of the town, growing each year and making more and more of the town uninhabitable. It looks scary on the map. In real it's just confusing. Even my recently updated map shows roads that no longer exist – to go around the fenced area I have to go much wider than expected. I try east, west and south looking for a spot to have a view of the whole thing. Unlucky. I can see a glimpse of the pit but it's hard to imagine the scale of things.
The clouds are here, starting a drizzle just as I go into a what used to be a mining community, now it doesn't look much more than a tourist attraction. Still very charming. I buy a bag of sweet pasties from a lady for lunch. From now on, I'm moving towards home, my route is going south.
Sweden is spectacular. I'm waiting to get sick and tired of cliffs and pine forests but it never happens. For lunch I stop by the road and walk into the forest, towards the stream, waaaay below. It's just rock and wood, with splashes of moss here and there. The landscape is filled with earthy colours, the surface of rock is polished with a recent rain, glistening and hyping up the contrasts. Water is running down everywhere.
Sweet pasties (I wish I remembered what they are called) and water. With an apple, heart of which I throw away, hoping that it might grow, diluting the evergreen forest with something more user friendly.
I'm in the suburbs of Luleå and very glad to meet Jakob. I haven't had a proper conversation for a couple of days. I park in front of their house and we are discussing what to do – I'm happy to do what he wants, he's the same. Very soon we dismiss dirt riding (thanks Jakob) – I'm definitely not feeling adventurous, and we settle on some easy riding. Which, in turn, would rule out Håkan but I have to accept the sacrifice. And shortly after we agree that a swim and beer might be the most appropriate for the evening.
Jakob introduces me to his girlfriend Cecilia, they live together in the first floor apartment. Cecilia is as quiet as Jakob talkative, they make a great couple. There is a massive dragon skeleton Cecilia made out of felt in their living room, she's talking about her shop and other bits she makes.
I quickly cover their office floor with my bags. It's still hot, after shower I change to shorts and we having palt with bacon and onions and lingonberry jam. Awesome.
Jakob makes his own beer. I'm jealous. Apparently, it is a smelly process, so there is no way we could do it in our flat, beer making needs some space too. The cupboard in their office is full of beer making stuff.
We set off for the local beach, with the bottles clinking in the backpack. Meeting Anna and for a drink, swim and fire.
Rovaniemi to Gällivare
Lingonberry shower gel, lingonberry shampoo, now I smell like some lingonberry. 5 miles to the Santa's office with my shirt flopping around – it's way too hot, even for 8-something in the morning . Some Russian family having breakfast at one of the tables at the roadside. I am looking at the Arctic circle sign when a man approaches me 'Hello friend, where did you come from?' 'London' I say and switch to Russian. 'I have a meeting with Santa, have you met him yet?' 'Yes, I've seen him twice. They do a video recording and photos there. I was quite shy at first so didn't like how it looked, so didn't buy it. But on the second time I was playing for the public a little, it's much better. So, just relax.'
I am thrilled to bits, like a kid. Santa is exactly like in pictures, I always knew he was real! Warm handshake and nice voice. 'We were worried about you.' His gift is a wrapped so I can't see what it is. A small cube packet tied with a ribbon. ' A piece of the Arctic' he says. I'm very grateful to Rovaniemi Tourism & Marketing Ltd for organising this.
Skinny dipping again on my way to Sweden.
The rain is ahead of me… A few times it looks like rain passed just before I get there leaving for me only the smell of wet pine and fresh tarmac.
The Torne river between Finland and Sweden. Pello. A police car is passing back and forth across the border. I know, I do look suspicious, can't help it. Really. But I ought to walk to the middle of the bridge to look around. A small canoe is floating about.
Swampy landscape. I am so tired and stop to walk around what looks like clearing in the woods with a river going through it but I see my shoes are being sucked into the wet moss and brown water as I approach it. Cloudberries and greenery. Not a chance to sit somewhere here, even if looks inviting.
I walk back to the rocks and branches and find a spot. Sit down. Then stretch on the ground for a snooze, ignoring the horse flies and ants.
Hostel has a kitchen but I can't be bothered to cook. It looks like there are a few people just living here. The owner switches to Swedish between every three words and apologises for it every time. I think I can just about catch what she's trying to say. Her English is good but I don't know a word of Swedish. 'That will be 300 kronors' she says as we pass through a bunch of young guys in the kitchen to my room 'I don't have cash – just crossed the border a couple of hours ago' 'There's cash machine up the road, just leave them in the drawer as you leave tomorrow. Put the key there as well, just remember that you're locked out when you do that'.
Gällivare on saturday evening is totally empty, maybe I'm just spoilt by London and other towns. I walk around town but cannot find anything better than a hotel next door for a beer and some dinner.
The guy at the next table is talking on the phone with a proper Essex accent. Smoked through laugh. Is he really discussing me eating my hamburger or am I getting paranoid?
The time seems appropriate, so I set off to the top of the Dundret mountain. It's 9th of July, the midsummer ends on 12th, I'm just in time. It's cloudy so I'm not expecting to see the sun but at least I know it will be there. Running low on fuel but it should be enough to go there and I'll just coast most of the way back. The road is narrow but the tarmac is good. Light is sensational, blue and eerie, not entirely dark but doesn't feel like any time of the day. Evening? Night? Early morning? I could've never guessed the hour. I got there just as a large bus of tourists is unloading, it's windy and people walk on rocky path looking around and holding their hats. Swedish I think. Lights and water far away.
Telegraph poles propped by big rocks like they grew out of the ground, pushing them away, making a space for themselves. Imagine the new sprouts of a pole getting out of the ground with fresh drops of tar on it's stem before it gains strength, developing the wire buds that grow and pop releasing strings that will link the stem with the other poles nearby. At least, that's what would've happened in Narnia.
Anyway. The lights in the cafe are on, I look inside. It's run by a few local teenagers and they are open till 1am. 'I heard a lot about your waffles' 'Only good things I hope' 'Certainly. With cloudberry jam. And a coffee please.'


text:
Wineke: Does Bishop Morlino really believe this stuff?
C3K columnist counters Bishop Robert Morlino's views
Bishop Robert Morlino's contribution to this year's election season is to suggest that Catholics who choose to vote for President Obama ought also to leave the church.
In an issue of the Madison Catholic Diocese's weekly publication, "The Catholic Herald," devoted largely to attacking Democratic principles, the bishop called support of "human life from conception to natural death," opposition to same-sex marriage and opposition to laws that limit freedom of religion "non-negotiable issues for the formation of a Catholic conscience in this election."
He doesn't condemn the president by name, of course. He just suggests the president's policies are intrinsically evil.
In a letter to his parishioners, Morlino asserted "If one is called to be Catholic, one follows what the Church teaches: That is the correct understanding of conscience (as upheld also by Vatican II). And if one really cannot follow what the Church teaches, then one's conscience requires that one leave the Church. That is the adult decision. One's conscience does not require that one makes up one's own personal religion and then pretend it is Catholic."
I doubt that the bishop's message will change even a single vote, nor do I expect to see some large number of Catholic Democrats leaving the church.
Catholics long ago seem to have determined that their bishops serve a colorful function but are not to be taken seriously.
Especially when the bishop decides to equate his non-negotiable principles with other political ends. To wit:
"And if one's policies are intent on downsizing and even killing more and more of the future generation by promoting and making free-of-charge, on-demand abortion and contraception, why should we be surprised if there is no concern for those generations in terms of handing down massive debt?"
Or try this attack on same-sex marriage:
If the traditional view of marriage doesn't matter, Morlino says, "then humanity as it was created is diminished to the point that we now have people who want to play some sort of game, deadly to humanity, that says 'let the child be born and after some years decide whether they want to be 'he or she'. . ."
What, in God's name, is the bishop trying to say?
Is he trying to say people choose to be either gay or straight? No one believes that anymore. And does he assume that gay men really want to be women and that lesbians really want to be men?
I mean, this isn't just bigoted; it is ignorant.
Religious leaders have a right to their political opinions, just like anyone else. I don't begrudge Bishop Morlino his Republican leanings. I tend to have political leanings myself. Democracy has survived.
But, come on! If you're going to don your official robes and speak for Christianity, then, at least, speak as if you've actually given some thought to what you're saying.


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Page maintained by Ke-Sen Huang. If you have additions or changes, send an e-mail.
Information here is provided with the permission of the ACM.
Note that when possible I link to the page containing the link to the actual PDF or PS of the preprint. I prefer this as it gives some context to the paper and avoids possible copyright problems with direct linking. Thus you may need to search on the page to find the actual document.
ACM Digital Library: Proceedings of the ACM SIGGRAPH Symposium on High Performance Graphics 2020
the Eurographics Digital Library Link for the paper Paper Abstract Author Preprint Paper Video
Paper Presentation Paper Images Paper Data Demo Program or Source Code Related Links


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|Pool tranquility
As swimmers, we try to optimize our day, so we handle all the necessary work and then still have more free time to get our morning, lunch or evening swimming workout in. This sounds great in theory, however, unless you have mastered the New Rich phenomenon, the reality is that it takes a lot of dedication and discipline to optimize your day properly, so you can enjoy your daily swims without stress.
Many folks who work in bigger cities (not so lucky to work remotely or to have changing facilities at work to wash up after a sweaty bike ride) spend at least 1 hour a day enroute in some sort of public transportation (or a car) to and from their job place. This 1 hour a day translates into 5 hours a week which is a plentiful amount of time for some form of physical activity. I'd replace the stressful commute for a healthy swim workout any day. This being a swimming blog, I'll give you some tips on how you can improve your swimming while out of the water in your favorite public transportation vehicle (be it a bus, tram, train or metro) or even a car.
As discussed on many occassions, the muscle strength in your core body is one of the key elements in faster and easier swimming experience. The stronger the core, the more power you can generate from your hip rotation and the straighter you will swim eliminating the necessary drag. One way to get a better core is to challenge yourself with miscellaneous stability exercises such as standing on one foot, standing on a balance board, sitting on a stability ball, doing push ups with your feet on stability ball, performing hand stands with shifting weight from one hand to another, utilizing bouncing medicine balls, fighting the TRX suspension belts etc. etc., the list is endless. You can let your imagination run wild in coming up with new exercises which work on your stability, but remember to always do the exercise in a controlled manner with a good body posture, otherwise it looses the meaning.
|Metro workout routine by Mika
Next time you are in your favorite public transport, how about you do not sit down on your way to work (let the older people sit) and rotate standing on one foot for 1 minute at a time. To make it a less obvious to the bystanders keep the floating foot only a few inches (centimeters) of the floor while holding your body nice and straight (as if you were standing on both feet). I guarantee you that all the turns the public vehicle will make on your way to work will test your balance nicely and nobdy will even notice. In a same way, you can work on your shoulder strength by hodling onto something while standing on one foot and only using your shoulder to keep your body nice and straight and stable. While we are on the shoulder muscle topic, how about if you hold onto the vertical bar which is almost in all public transport vehicles, so you have a ninety degree angle in your elbow and your elbow is at the side of your body. Now push with your palm against the bar and keep the pressure constant for 30 seconds. Then switch to the other hand. Voila, you just have 3 exercise repetition routine for your way to work and nobody in the bus even knows they are witnesses to a very important swimming dryland workout which will help you keep your body aligned properly in the water.
|Working out in a bus by Mika
If you really need to sit down or for you car lovers, the above exercises are obviously not possible as you need to be standing up, however, you can work on strengthening your core through your stomach. Contract your stomach muscles for 30 seconds and relax for 30 seconds. Another exercise you can do, depending on how skilled of a driver you are (at your own caution here), is stick your arms through the steering wheel, keep them streight and push to the sides like you'd be trying to rip the steering wheel apart. Hold this position for 30 seconds and then relax for 30 seconds. (don't break your steering wheel though :)).
I hope the above tips were useful and next time you are on your way to the 9-9 work place, why not be more efficient. (note: I am not suggesting that working so much is good, but if you are really not keen on switching your life priorities, the above tips could just be a bandaid to your problem). I've been battling with gaining my equilibrium in life for a while now, but I think I am getting better. It is not perfect yet and probably never will be, but it has improved. I have now much more time to do things that I enjoy (like writing this swimming blog) rather than work all the time :). If you think that I am nuts, then at least think about taking some time out from your best friend, "the computer" and go for a swim.


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July 17, 2019
Building Stronger Communities By Helping Those In Need
Posted in Windermere Foundation by Marilou Ubungen
We're halfway through the Windermere Foundation's 30-year anniversary. This quarter, we're highlighting Windermere offices in Oregon, Utah, and Colorado, which are each doing their part to give back by hosting clothing and donation drives, contributing to educational programs, and funding weekend backpack meals for public elementary schools.
Read More >
May 29, 2019
Giving Thanks to Our Vendor Partners
Posted in Windermere Foundation by Marilou Ubungen
The Windermere Foundation is grateful for all of our wonderful vendor partners who share our passion for helping those less fortunate. Their contributions have helped the Foundation continue to provide funding to nonprofits that provide service to low-income and homeless families.
Read More >
May 23, 2019
Windermere Supports Red Nose Day
Posted in Windermere Foundation by Windermere Foundation
Last year, the Red Nose campaign raised $47 million, setting the total raised since 2015 to over $150 million, and have changed the lives of over 16 million children. These funds help buy vaccines and medical services, as well as meals, educational assistance and more.
Read More >
April 24, 2019
Caring for our Communities through the Windermere Foundation
Posted in Community and Windermere Foundation by Marilou Ubungen
Windermere offices have been busy this year raising money for the Windermere Foundation which provides funding to support low-income and homeless families throughout the Western U.S. Last quarter alone, the Windermere Foundation collected over $308,236 in donations, bringing our total to $38,314,364 raised since 1989 when the Windermere Foundation first started.
Read More >
March 27, 2019
Windermere and YouthCare - Helping Homeless Youth
Posted in Community and Windermere Foundation by Marilou Ubungen
For the past 30 years, Windermere Real Estate has supported more than 500 non-profit agencies dedicated to helping low-income and homeless families through donations from the Windermere Foundation. One organization that we have been honored to partner with these past three years is YouthCare, a non-profit in Seattle, Washington that provides critical services to homeless youth.
Read More >
February 28, 2019
Windermere Foundation: Celebrating 30 Years of Giving
Posted in Windermere Foundation by Shelley Rossi
Giving back has always been a big part of who we are at Windermere. In the early days of our company, it was pretty simple; we would see a need and help any way we could. But as we grew, we realized we could accomplish much more if we had a common purpose. That's how the Windermere Foundation was born.
Read More >
January 23, 2019
Windermere Foundation Surpasses $38 Million In Total Donations Raised
Posted in Windermere Foundation by Marilou Ubungen
2018 concluded with another great year of fundraising and giving for the Windermere Foundation, thanks to the continued support of Windermere franchise owners, agents, staff, and the community. Nearly $2.5 million was raised in 2018, bringing our grand total to over $38 million raised since the Foundation's inception in 1989!
Read More >
December 19, 2018
Creating Caring Connections With Mary Ann Vandergriff
Posted in Windermere Foundation by Guest Author
When people in the West Seattle community are in need, they've learned they can turn to Windermere broker Mary Ann Vandergriff. After a company backed out of providing turkeys for 40 elementary school families the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the school's family support worker called Vandergriff in a panic. Just a few phone calls later, the big-hearted broker had rounded up 40 vouchers for...
Read More >
December 17, 2018
Bringing Warmth And Good Cheer For The Holidays
Posted in Community and Windermere Foundation by Marilou Ubungen
The winter holiday season is one of our favorites! It is also a busy time of the year for Windermere offices, as many are working with local non-profits to support families who need a little extra help during the holidays. From running clothing drives to hosting free photo events with Santa, our agents and offices are out in their communities helping those in need have a warm and merry holiday.
Read More >
December 03, 2018
A Lifetime of Making a Difference - Joan Tate Allen
Posted in Community and Windermere Foundation by Marilou Ubungen
Tis the season when we look back upon the year and give thanks for all that we have and count our blessings. At Windermere, we are thankful for all who generously donate to the Windermere Foundation, and we are grateful to have franchise owners and agents who go above and beyond to make a difference in the communities where they live and work.
Read More >


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Early Amer. Coppers, Paper Money, Medals & Tokens, Key Date Coins, Certified U.S. Coins, Special Events, Bullion, Gold Coins, Commemoratives and Type Coins in Concord
Northeast Numismatics
Business Contact: Chris Clements
in World Coins, U.S. Coins, Proof/Mint Sets, Paper Money, Medals & Tokens, Key Date Coins, Errors, Commemoratives, Colonials, Collector Supplies, Certified U.S. Coins, Bullion, Appraisals, Buy & Sell, Ancient Coins
Tom Caldwell founded Northeast Numismatics over 50 years ago. In the years that have elapsed since 1964, Tom has proven his expertise in every area of US coinage, from rare colonials and patterns to high grade proof type and gold.
100 Main St
Ste 330
Concord, Massachusetts 01742
United States
(800) 449-2646
Fax: (978) 369-9619


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Melbourne may lose coach Bellamy if NRL rumours prove true
THE drums have been beating for months that Craig Bellamy was considering taking over the reins at one of the game's most iconic clubs, the St George Illawarra Dragons, from 2014.
Because hearsay and rugby league go hand in hand, my initial reaction was this was just another furphy.
Understanding how devoted Bellamy is to the Storm and that every season presents him with another massive challenge, I simply could not imagine him leaving Melbourne.
But quotes from the coach over the weekend that "it is either the Storm or one other club" throw a completely different light on the situation. He is obviously in a bind, and that is sad.
It is sad because in his decade-long career at Melbourne Bellamy has taken the Storm from something akin to a laughing stock to an NRL powerhouse.
Salary-cap rorting aside, four grand final appearances for three premierships in that time is an exceptional achievement.
Apart from 2010 when the Storm played for no points because of a salary cap breach, in the 10-year reign of Bellamy they have never missed the finals.
What sets Bellamy aside from other NRL coaches is his ability to recruit unwanted players and transform them in to winners.
He has done it season after season, but in 2012 - another premiership year - he excelled in that department.
The likes of Ryan Hinchcliffe, Jaiman Lowe, Todd Lowrie, Bryan Norrie, Sisa Waqa and Jason Ryles were bargain buys who, in most cases, were on the scrap heap.
Not only could Bellamy see something others failed to detect, but he was able to push the right buttons.
But Bellamy - and no doubt the Melbourne Storm for decades to come - will be remembered for producing three of the greatest modern-day champions of our game.
In Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk - the holy trinity of rugby league - Bellamy has moulded a combination that is categorically without peer.
And while I hear what Bellamy is saying about the tough decision that lies ahead, it is because of these three champions that I find it difficult to comprehend him leaving Melbourne.
His bond with the trio is akin to family, and their commitment to him is without question.
At 54 years of age, Bellamy apparently feels the end is nigh, although his former mentor at the Broncos, Wayne Bennett, is still going strong at almost 10 years his senior.
Understandably then, a lucrative contract - rumoured to be $1.2million a year at the Dragons - is a carrot well worth considering.
The $64 question is, however, whether the NRL can afford to have Bellamy lost to Melbourne?
With rugby league having some semblance of at least a toe hold in the AFL-mad city, a series of barren seasons could be catastrophic, particularly so close to the salary-cap scandal and the PR disaster that resulted.
Irrespective of who was recruited as his replacement, losing Bellamy could well break the mould that made the Storm great.
And the Melbourne market is far too important to have that risked.


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International Programs
KCH Burn Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
The North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center, UNC Department of Surgery and KCH have partnered since 2008 to improve burn care at KCH. The initial steps included describing the problem of burn injury. Similar to many developing countries, the majority of burns are pediatric and are sustained during meal preparation. At the time of the initial assessment, there was no organized burns unit at KCH. The first clinical improvement initiative was to create a dedicated burns unit, which opened in 2010. This entailed specialized training for the clinicians and nurses who staff the burn unit, which was accomplished through a Traveling Burn Fellowship program; with support from Johnson and Johnson, participants from Malawi trained at Baragwanath Burns Unit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Current activities are focused on improving the capacity of surgical care by opening a dedicated burns theatre, improving nutritional status in the burns unit, expanding the role of physiotherapy, and investigating possible prevention and burn strategies within the central region of Malawi.
To learn more about the Malawi Surgical Initiative click here.


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It's 8 a.m. and 57º, headed to 54º. Today will be cloudy and rainy, so it's a great day to cuddle up with a favorite book.
If you missed SantaCon yesterday, don't worry. The Chronicle documented some of the hundreds of Santas running around town.
The LA Times reports on the lives of some of the victims and families of the Connecticut school shootings. The father of a 6 1/2-year-old "bright, creative and very loving" girl urged that the massacre "not be something that defines us, but something that inspires us to be better."
If you're looking for a laugh today, be sure to check out the Santa Skivvies Run in the Castro, where people will be dropping their pants to raise funds for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.


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The first day of the Ubuntu Developer Summit began with roundtable sessions which focused on high-level planning for Hardy Heron, the next major release of the Ubuntu Linux distribution. I attended the Hardy Heron desktop roundtable to get the inside scoop about the future of Ubuntu on the desktop.
The primary goal for the Hardy development cycle is to make existing features more usable and robust rather than adding a lot of new functionality. This differs significantly from the Gutsy Gibbon development cycle which focused on delivering highly experimental features—like compositing by default—that improved the user experience at the expense of robustness in certain documented areas. Stability and resilience are important for Hardy Heron because it is a long-term support release and will be supported on the desktop for three years.


text: Fever is an important part of the body's defense against infection. Most bacteria and viruses that cause infections in humans thrive best at 98.6°F. Raising the body temperature a few degrees can help the body fight the infection. In addition, a fever activates the body's immune system to make more white blood cells, antibodies, and other infection-fighting agents.


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Dictator fetes ... dictator.
In a move that startled absolutely nobody, Venezuelan caudillo Hugo Chávez has bestowed Venezuela's highest honor, The Order of the Liberator, on dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko of Belarus.
The award, given for "meritorious service to Venezuela" was given to Europe's last dictator shortly after Chávez's own attempt to become president for life was narrowly thwarted at the polls. Undaunted by Lukashenko's rotten records on press and political freedoms, Chávez gushed that Lukashenko's Belarus is "a model social state, like the one we are trying to create [in Venezuela]". Venezuelans will doubtlessly be overjoyed to learn that Chávez views Belarus as a political and social role model, which removes those final doubts some Chávez opponents had about leaving the country forever before they're locked up as political prisoners.


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Published on 26 December 2014
By EnglishTestStore
241 downloads
English Word Family Matching Test 126.zip
The test helps you to practice English Word Family.
Instructions: Each test contains 10 questions. Each question has 3 pairs. Match the pair then click submit button to answer. After finishing the test you can review your answer.Steps:- Download the test.- Unzip the downloaded file- Open Flash exe file to start.


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Parker sees hint Diaw might consider staying
The Spurs must wait until after free agency begins July 1 to know if they have a reasonable chance of striking a deal that can lock up versatile free-agent-to-be Boris Diaw for another few seasons.
Tony Parker, the Spurs' All-NBA point guard, thinks he got a hint of Diaw's thinking a few days ago when he discovered his longtime friend was not in the guest house at his residence. The guest house has been Diaw's home since he signed with the Spurs in March after negotiating a contract buyout with the Bobcats.
"Right now all his stuff is at my house," Parker said after spending a day with youngsters attending the Spurs' basketball camp at the University of the Incarnate Word on Monday. "He left without notice and left all his stuff."
Parker left his own things behind this morning when he took off from San Antonio for Paris, where he will join Diaw and other members of the French national team to begin preparations for the Olympic tournament, scheduled to begin in London on July 28.
For the most poignant of reasons, Parker is anxious for his national team to begin practice June 20. Preparing for London will help the Spurs' top scorer during the regular season and playoffs put Oklahoma City in the past.
The Spurs were ahead 2-0 in the Western Conference finals after his playoff-high 34 points sparked a 120-111 victory in Game 2 at the AT&T Center.
But Parker was limited to 48 points in the next three games before breaking out for 29 in the Game 6 loss that ended the Spurs' season.
Without something else to focus on, it is difficult to get past such disappointment.
"Right now you think a lot of 'if this and if that,'" he said, "and I will for another week, until the national team starts. I still have the Spurs in my mind and what I could do better and all the stuff we could do better, but you know with some 'ifs' you can re-do the whole world.
"It's going to hurt for a while, and you use it as motivation for next year and come back strong next year and keep improving. That's what I always try to do: Get better every year and start off strong."
Parker was careful to avoid the controversy that followed him last summer after he told French journalists he thought the window was closing on the Spurs' opportunity to win a fifth NBA championship. He said he trusts general manger R.C. Buford and coach Gregg Popovich to put together a roster capable of playing deep into the playoffs and contending for future titles.
"R.C. and Pop have proven many times they bring in players, never heard of, and they play great," Parker said. "So I expect them to find some players, improve our team and get right back to it next year."
The most important off-season decision involves Tim Duncan, the free agent big man who has been with the Spurs for 15 seasons. Parker doesn't know how much longer the 36-year-old team captain wants to play but seems certain he will return for at least one more season.
"I don't know," he said, "but he looked great this year, the way Pop managed him, and did a great job. I expect him to have another great season next year."
Parker admits he has lobbied Diaw to return to the Spurs but understands the difficulty of the decision, both for the club and his friend.
"Obviously, he would love to stay," Parker said. "He likes it here in San Antonio. It's going to depend. There's so many guys on our team — Timmy, Danny Green, Patty Mills — we've got a lot of different (free agent) guys, but I trust their judgment."
Twitter: @Monroe_SA


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I have another post type which isn't the default one. I have four taxonomies attached to that post type. And I have many tags attached to these taxonomies.
I would like to create a drop down menu that pull automatically all the tags by their taxonomy.
For example: Post type: Culture Taxonomy 1: Books Under that, all the books (tags) Taxonomy 2: Movies Under that, all the movies (tags) etc..


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Grapes /Raisins are toxic to dogs!!
Level of toxicity: Generally moderate to severe
Common signs to watch for:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abnormal drinking or urination
- Lethargy
- Inappetance
- Halitosis
- Dehydration
Grapes, raisins, and even currants (some currants are actually small, black grapes) are toxic to your dog! In fact, there have been anecdotal reports of cats and ferrets being affected by these also. Ingestion of even a small amount of grapes, raisins, or currants can result in severe, acute kidney failure. All types of grape- or raisin-containing products (including grape juice, trail mix, bagels, etc.) can result in this. Even organic, pesticide-free, grapes grown in home gardens can result in toxicity. Although the mechanism of action is not clearly understood on how grapes, raisins and currants are poisonous at this time, this common fruit can result in anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, and potentially severe acute renal failure (which develops several days later). The toxicity is not necessarily dose-dependent, and symptoms can occur with even small ingestions. Decontamination (e.g., inducing vomiting, decontaminating with activated charcoal, etc.), aggressive supportive care, aggressive IV fluid therapy, and kidney function (e.g., BUN/creatinine) monitoring is recommended.
If you suspect your pet ingested grapes, raisins, or currants, call your veterinarian or Pet Poison Helpline for treatment recommendations.


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Emerging writers from across the state soon will descend on the University of Houston for a week devoted to the written word.
UH's Boldface conference celebrates its fourth anniversary this year and will attract poets, fiction writers and essayists to campus May 21 – 26. These writers will share and develop their works during workshops led by graduate students from the university's acclaimed Creative Writing Program (CWP). Conference attendees also will engage with professional writers during plenary talks. Leading these discussions will be visiting writers and UH alums: Corey Marks (poetry), Keya Mitra (fiction) and Lacy M. Johnson (nonfiction).
Attendees will spotlight their works during readings May 22 at Kaboom Books (3116 Houston Ave.) and May 24 at Café Brasil (2604 Dunlavy St.). These free, public readings begin at 7:30 p.m.
Conference-goers also will hear from some of CWP's rising stars during campus readings May 21 - 24.
Plenary talks and campus readings will be conducted in UH's Rockwell Pavilion (second floor of M.D. Anderson Library). They are free and open to the public A schedule of talks and readings is as follows:
May 21
- 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. – "From The Ordinary to the Extraordinary: Transgressing Boundaries in Fiction," a talk led by Keya Mitra
- 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. – Readings by UH graduate students Aja Gabel, Liz Countryman, Tyson Morgan
May 22
- 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. – Plenary talk by Corey Marks
- 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. – Readings by UH graduate students Elizabeth Winston and David Tomas Martinez
May 23
- 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. – Readings by UH graduate students Allyn West, Michelle Oakes and Jameelah Lang
May 24
- 3:30 – 4:15 p.m. - "The Art and Escape of Discovery," a talk by Lacy M. Johnson
- 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. – Reading by UH graduate students Rebecca Wadlinger and Eric Howerton
The conference complements the university's ongoing efforts to develop undergraduate writers. Among these is the literary journal Glass Mountain, which is devoted to poetry and fiction written by undergraduates. Founded in 2006, the publication is edited by undergraduate students with support from Lynn Voskuil, associate professor of English. For more details on Glass Mountain, visit http://www.glassmountainmag.com/. To learn more about Boldface, visit http://boldfaceconference.com/.


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Living alone
Living in a place that is safe, familiar and comfortable is important to everyone, including people with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias.
A diagnosis of dementia does not automatically mean that a person is incapable of living alone. Some people may be able to live on their own for some time after the diagnosis. Others may be at too much risk to continue living alone.
It is often difficult to decide when a person is at too much risk to continue living alone. When people who live alone have Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, diagnosis may occur later in the disease because their symptoms may go unrecognized.
A premature move from home should be avoided. Moving people with dementia away from home to live, for example, with a son or daughter, or in a long-term care setting, may feel like a loss of freedom. Being able to access support and safety services, however, may result in more independence.
Each person's living situation should be monitored and assessed carefully, as the disease progresses.
For people with dementia
Loss of independence: Some people with Alzheimer's disease can tell when living alone is no longer safe or desirable. Others may want to stay in their own home for as long as possible, even if there are some safety concerns. They may be worried that a move away from home would mean a loss of self-reliance and control in their daily lives.
Premature move from home: The person with the disease may have a higher tolerance for risk than family members and caregivers and may feel pressured into moving out of the home earlier than necessary.
Living alone: Many people with Alzheimer's disease continue to live successfully on their own for some time. Here are some ideas to help:
- Speak to your Alzheimer Society, local community support agency or doctor about help with housekeeping, meal preparation or transportation.
- Talk to your bank manager about bank-at-home services. Arrange for direct deposit of cheques.
- Sort out closets and dresser drawers to make it easy to choose what to wear. Have a family member help you if necessary.
- Leave a set of house keys with a trusted neighbour.
- Use electrical appliances that shut off on their own.
- Install a smoke detector and check the batteries regularly.
- Leave written reminders to yourself like "turn off the stove" or "unplug the iron." Place them where you will see them.
- Label cupboards with words or pictures that describe what is inside, for example, dishes, knives and forks.
- Write telephone numbers in large print and post by the phone. Include people to contact in an emergency.
- Write your address down and post by the phone. Keep a map with you that shows where your home is.
- Accept help when it is offered.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Take your time.
- If something is too difficult, take a break.
For family members, caregivers and health-care professionals
Determining when living alone is no longer safe or desirable: When people with dementia no longer understand their own safety and can't look after themselves, family members and health-care professionals may need to weigh the risks of living alone against the benefits of supporting him to live at home. In many families, caregiving falls to one person. Hold a family meeting when he is at an early stage of the disease, so that you can plan what each family member can realistically do to help, now and in the future.
Barriers within the health-care, community care and legal systems: Family members and health-care professionals often face barriers when trying to determine if a move from home is needed or if additional support can be provided in the home. These barriers include the difficulty of sharing information under privacy and confidentiality regulations; the limited availability of services to support independent living; and the complexities of competency legislation (the laws that determine when a person is no longer able to make certain decisions).
Preferred choice
Living environments that provide safety, quality of life and support
People with Alzheimer's disease need to live in safe environments that support quality of life. The amount and type of support available are important factors in determining if a person can live alone. For example, a person with a large family, or someone who lives in a community with many services may be better able to live alone than someone with no family, living in a community with limited services.
Family members and health-care professionals can help reduce risks for people with dementia who want to live alone. For example, if he frequently leaves the stove on, consider disconnecting the stove and finding other ways to provide hot food, such as Meals on Wheels.
Wherever possible, the person with the disease should take part in discussions concerning their own future.
Some factors to consider:
Overall well-being
- What is his quality of life at home?
- Is there a good balance of stimulation during the day?
- Could he benefit from the level of care and support provided by another environment, such as a son or daughter's home, retirement home or long-term care home?
- Is there help from community support agencies?
- Is he able to take medication properly?
- If sick, would he be able to understand and take appropriate action, such as calling for help?
- Is he able to take care of personal hygiene, such as bathing and toileting?
- Are there current or past health problems that might put him at risk of harm?
- Is he able to maintain a proper weight?
- Is he able to eat nutritiously throughout the day?
- Is he able to store and prepare foods properly?
- Is he eating inappropriately (cat food)?
- Is she at risk of harm? If yes, is the amount of risk acceptable to her? To family members? To caregivers?
- Is it possible to find a level of risk with which everyone is comfortable? For example, the risk of falling on the stairs might be considered an acceptable risk if she has no problems with balance or walking.
- Does the she pose a risk to others? For example, does she live in an apartment and cause fires with the stove or cigarettes?
- Is she able to react and take appropriate action in an emergency, such as a fire?
- Is her home safe? For example, are stairs well lit? Are there handrails?
- Do individuals or organizations check in with her regularly and in the event of a blackout or other emergency situations?
- Can she handle day-to-day financial transactions, such as keeping track of bills and paying bills promptly?
- Is she at risk of exploitation or abuse regarding finances?
How to support independent living
The following day-to-day strategies may help support a person with Alzheimer's disease who lives alone. Assess the abilities of the person before initiating any of these strategies.
|Leave a set of house keys with trusted neighbours.
|Access to the home is available. Someone can enter if there is a problem.
|Neighbours not always at home.
|Arrange for someone to call or visit once a day.
|Regular checks can reassure the person as well as family. May be able to monitor areas of concern.
|Only once a day. Problems may arise at other times
|Register with MedicAlert® Safely Home®.
|Provides peace of mind for the person and family should the person wander away from home and become confused
|Appliance safety measures:
Automatic shut off kettle.
Remove fuses in the stove, put burners on timers, shut off gas.
Lower temperature of hot water heater.
|Minimizes the chance of accident
|Some people may find the changes confusing or frustrating.
|Occupational therapists and social workers assessments from community support agencies
|Identify risk and enhance safety
|Emergency call system.
|Person has 24-hour access to help should a problem arise.
|Person may not be able to understand concept or use of call button.
|Daily Living
|Get help with tasks such as housekeeping and meal preparation, or with personal care such as bathing.
|Someone is in the home to supervise activity and provide companionship. Tasks get accomplished.
|Person with disease may be reluctant or resistant to accepting help.
|Sort closets and dresser drawers to make only the necessary clothes available.
|Makes decisions about what to wear easier.
|Does not help if the person has trouble knowing when or how to dress.
|Meals on Wheels.
|Delivery of hot meal once a day.
|No way to monitor if food has been eaten or stored properly.
|Congregate dining (Wheels to Meals)
|Enable seniors to remain living in their own homes by encouraging them to get out and dine with other community members
|Provide toaster oven or microwave for heating food.
|Preparation is easier.
Less concern about spoilage.
|Preparation may still be too complex. The person may not like the food.
|Simplify medication routines. For example, use a pill dispenser. Have someone visit to give pills.
|Allows only a small supply of pills at once.
Helps person take the pills on the right day and at the right time.
|Possibility for confusion about day and time.
May not prevent person from taking extra medication, if more than one day's supply is available.
|Use bank-at-home services.
|Person does not have to leave home.
Personalized service.
|Person may not be able to deal with finances.
Does not protect from overpayment
/non payment of bills, or scams.
|Make someone else, such as a substitute decision-maker, responsible for handling finances, such as writing cheques, paying bills, monitoring accounts.
|Allows person to manage finances with some independence yet provides protection.
|Direct deposit of cheques and direct payment of bills.
|This hands-free approach to banking offers fewer chances for problems.
For more information, check out our brochure, Conversations About Dementia and Living Alone.


text:
William McDonald and Jane Lastinger McDonald, hosts of the first Lastinger Family Reunion, were the parents of Lacy McDonald. Lacy McDonald later moved to Ray City, GA where he served as the mailman. His brother, Arthur Walton McDonald, was also connected with Ray City and a friend of Ray City Mayor, Dr. Charles X. Jones.
All six of Jane Lastingers brothers served in the Confederate States Army during the Civil War; five of them served in the Berrien Minute Men.
The Lastinger Family Reunions were held at Lacy McDonald's home in Ray City in 1945, 1950 and 1953.
Excerpted from the Lastinger Book:
The Lastinger Family Reunions
"In the early part of the year 1904, Mrs. Annis Elliot was visiting in the home of her sister, Mrs. Jane McDonald, at Cat Creek, (Lowndes County), Georgia, and they expressed the wish to have their brothers and sisters meet there for a family reunion. Later, Mrs. Arizona Turner (another sister), was visiting her brother, Joshua B. Lastinger in Arcadia, Florida, when she made this wish known to him. It was fully decided that all the brothers and sisters meet on their father's one hundredth birthday, which was October 1st, 1904. All were delighted to enter into this arrangement. Thus the movement began with the first meeting being held at the home of William McDonald at Cat Creek in Lowndes County near the old home of William Lastinger, their father, who was born October 1, 1804 and departed this life in February of 1893 and who would have been one hundred years old at the day of this meeting.
"At this first gathering, there were present ten of the twelve children that had reached maturity. One child, Seaborn, lost his life in the Civil War, and William who lived in Texas was unable to be present. In addition there were present many grandchildren and great grandchildren, numbering more than one hundred. In a beautiful pine grove in front of the McDonald home a long table was spread and loaded with good things to eat for which South Georgia is noted.
"Henry being the oldest child was placed at the head of the table and in choice words, humbly thanked God for the happiness brought them on this occasion, and for God's love and protection for having brought them thus far. It was then that Cat Creek became the Ebenezer of the Lastinger Clan. The afternoon was spent in social intercourse and at night a religious service was conducted by Henry, and ordained minister of the gospel. With a few exceptions, these reunions have been held annually and largely attended by the descendants of William Lastinger.
"All of the children of William Lastinger have ascended and live anew in the glorious world of God beyond the skies with the exception of Aunt Scrap, 84 years of age, still lives to bless nieces and nephews and spread joy and happiness wherever she goes, and to receive their love and homage."
Thus is recorded the first Lastinger family reunion on pages one and two of the minutes book still in use (1960). Since the 1942 reunion minutes follow, this was evidently written up in that year.
Children of Louisa English and William Lastinger
- Henry Andrew Lastinger, born November 20, 1832, Lowndes County, GA; enlisted August 1, 1861, Berrien Minute Men, Company C, 29th GA Regiment; married Emma J. Sinquefield on April 11, 1867; died December 28, 1906; buried Bold Springs Cemetery, Cairo, GA
- Peter Cornelius Lastinger, born November 8, 1834, Lowndes County, GA; enlisted Octber 1, 1861 in Berrien Minute Men, Company D, 29th GA Regiment; married Joe Anna Sylvanah Isom on May 16, 1858 in Lowndes County, GA; died July 17, 1920 at Walkersville, Pierce County, GA; buried Ramah Cemetery, Pierce County, GA
- Seaborn James Lastinger, born May 3, 1837, Lowndes County, GA; enlisted August 1, 1861 in Berrien Minute Men, Company C, 29th GA Regiment; died September 15, 1863 at Charleston, SC; buried Union Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, Lakeland, GA
- Annis Lastinger, born September 6, 1839; married Robert Allen Elliot, June 24, 1855; neighbors of Thomas M. Ray, founder of Ray's Mill; died June 8, 1913
- Elizabeth Lastinger, born September 28, 1841; present May, 1861 at Grand Military Rally for Berrien Minute Men; married May 12, 1861 to William J. Wilkerson, son of William D. Wilkerson; died January 11, 1935 at Cat Creek, GA; buried at Union Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, Lakeland, GA
- Lacy Elias Lastinger, born August 3, 1843; enlisted Berrien Minute Men, Company D (later Co. K), 29th GA Regiment; married Sophronia J. Williams; died December 4, 1936; buried Woodlawn Cemetery, Adel, GA
- William Hiram Lastinger, born April 23, 1845; served in Berrien Minute Men, Company C (later Company G, 29th GA Regiment); married Georgia Augusta Jones, December 13, 1866; later moved to Waco, TX. Died December 23, 1918. Buried Oakwood Cemetery, Waco, TX
- Joshua Berrien Lastinger, born February 22, 1847; said to have served with the 5th Georgia Reserves; married Louisa Bowden, December 25, 1870; later moved to Florida; died October 15, 1931, at Arcadia, FL; buried Owens Cemetery, Arcadia, FL.
- Jane Lastinger, born October 11, 1849; married William C. McDonald; died April 1, 1918; buried Cat Creek Cemetery.
- Kansas Lastinger, born September 19, 1855; married Francis Marion "Frank" Smith, December 18, 1882; died January 28, 1907 at Fitzgerald, GA; buried Brushy Creek Church.
- Arizona Lastinger, born November 27, 1859; married 1) Robert K. Turner, on January 24, 1900, 2) William C. McDonald, on July 27, 1919; died February 15, 1954; buried at Cat Creek Cemetery, Lowndes County, GA.
- Nebraska Lastinger; born October 6, 1857; married Dr. Joseph Gustavus Edie on December 13, 1888; died 1940; buried Old City Cemetery, Nashville, GA.
Related Posts:
Obituary of Mable Virginia McDonald Roberson
Billy McDonald at the University of Arizona


text:
CFO Moves this week include:
|PerkinElmer, Inc.
|Global Employment Solutions
|Zayo Group Holdings, Inc.
|ValueSetters Inc.
|Titan Spine
|Royal Financial, Inc.
|gel-e Inc
|Lineage Logistics, LLC
|HomeStreet, Inc.
|Amplify Snack Brands, Inc.
|Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc.
|Authentidate Holding Corp.
|Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
|Catalant Technologies
|Intelligent Medical Objects, Inc.
|Open Road Integrated Media
|Lemonade Restaurant Group
|Rubenstein Public Relations
Would you like to receive our weekly CFO Moves directly in your email? Click the SIGN ME UP! button on the right of the blog page.
Should you have any CFO Moves to report, please email us.
NOTE: CFO Search Report available monthly to CFOs only. Read more here.
CFO Moves is published by Samuel Dergel (Executive Search Consultant and CFO & Financial Executive Search Specialist with Dergel Executive Search). Samuel can be reached by email at firstname.lastname@example.com or by phone at +1 (415) 738-2070.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
PerkinElmer, Inc. [WALTHAM, Mass.] (NYSE: PKI) announced the upcoming retirement of Andy Wilson, senior vice president and chief financial officer (CFO). To provide appropriate time to identify a successor CFO and ensure a smooth integration, Mr. Wilson – who has held his position since joining PerkinElmer in 2009 – will retire in August 2018.
Global Employment Solutions [DENVER] announced that Theresa McDannald has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. McDannald joins Global Employment Solutions with more than 16 years of experience in the staffing industry. Since 2010 she served as Chief Accounting Officer with EmployBridge and before that Field Financial Partner, Finance Manager, Tax Manager and Director of Benefits and Payroll. She began her career as Sr. Tax Consultant at Deloitte and Touche.
Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. [BOULDER, Colo.] (NYSE: ZAYO) announced that it has appointed Matt Steinfort as chief financial officer. He replaces Ken desGarennes, who is retiring. Steinfort joined Zayo as executive vice president, Corporate Strategy, Development, & Administration in November 2016, from Envysion, where he was CEO for 10 years. Prior to Envysion, he was senior vice president of Corporate Strategy at ICG Communications and held a variety of vice president roles at Level 3 Communications, including Consumer Voice, Corporate Strategy and Development, and Softswitch Strategy and Finance. Earlier in his career, Steinfort held positions at management consultancy Bain & Company and IT consultancy Cambridge Technology Partners.
ValueSetters Inc. [BOSTON] (OTC: VSTR) announced the hiring of Coreen Kraysler as its Chief Financial Officer. Formerly a Senior Vice President and Principal at Independence Investments, she managed several 5-star rated mutual funds as well as institutional accounts and served on the Investment Committee. She also worked at Eaton Vance as a Vice President, Equity Analyst on the Large and Midcap Value teams.
Bluelock [INDIANAPOLIS] announced that Jennifer Wiseman has joined as Chief Financial Officer. Wiseman brings over 20 years of finance experience from companies like Rolls-Royce, Brightpoint, and Interactive Intelligence.
Titan Spine [MEQUON, Wis.] announced the appointment of Chad Kolean as the Company's Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Titan, Mr. Kolean served as the CFO for Cellectar Biosciences. Previously, he served as the CFO at Pioneer Surgical Technologies.
Royal Financial, Inc. [CHICAGO] (OTCQX: RYFL) announced that William M. Morfoot has resigned as SVP and Chief Financial Officer of the Company and the Bank for personal reasons. Leonard Szwajkowski, who currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and Bank, reassumed the added duties of Interim CFO.
gel-e Inc. [COLLEGE PARK, Md.] announced Rich Vincent as CFO of the company.
Lineage Logistics, LLC [NOVI, Mich.] announced that Matthew ("Matt") Hardt has been appointed to serve as the Company's Chief Financial Officer. Matt joins Lineage from Cooper Standard Automotive, where he was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to Cooper Standard, Hardt served as Chief Financial Officer TE Connectivity and the General Electric Company.
Enseo [RICHARDSON, Texas] announced Kristin Reichert as chief financial officer. Prior to joining Enseo, Reichert served as CFO of Zimbra, Inc. Prior to Zimbra, Reichert was the Controller of Skywire Software.
HomeStreet, Inc. [SEATTLE] (NASDAQ: HMST) named Mark Ruh as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. On April 24, 2017, Mr. Ruh took on the role of interim Chief Financial Officer for HomeStreet. Prior to joining HomeStreet in January 2017 as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development & Strategic Investments, Mr. Ruh was a Managing Director at Commerce Street Investment Management in Dallas, Texas. Previously, he served as the Chief Financial Officer of Mission Community Bancorp in San Luis Obispo, California, from 2011 to 2012, and was a director of Mountain Commerce Bancorp in Knoxville, Tennessee from 2016 to 2017. Earlier in his career, Mr. Ruh served as a Vice President at Castle Creek Capital LLC in Rancho Santa Fe, California, and was the President & COO of White River Capital, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana. He also served five years in the United States Navy as a nuclear submarine officer.
Amplify Snack Brands, Inc. [AUSTIN, Texas] (NYSE: BETR) announced that Greg Christenson joins Amplify as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He replaces Brian Goldberg, Amplify's former Chief Financial Officer, who will transition into the newly created role of Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President Corporate Development. Mr. Christenson joins Amplify from DanoneWave where he most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of WhiteWave. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer, America Foods and Beverages and Senior Vice President of WhiteWave. Prior to joining WhiteWave, Mr. Christenson was Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Oberto Brands from 2011 to June 2013. Before that he spent 14 years at Kraft Foods. He spent the first seven years of his career in public accounting.
Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. [NEWTON, Mass.] (NASDAQ: KPTI) announced the appointment of Michael Falvey as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Prior to joining Karyopharm, Mr. Falvey served as Chief Financial Officer at several high-growth, revenue-generating companies, including Seven Bridges Genomics, Analysis Group, Ahura Scientific and Aspect Medical Systems. Prior to that, Mr. Falvey served as Vice President, Finance at Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Prior to Millennium, he also held financial positions at Fidelity Investments, Digital Equipment Corporation and General Electric.
Authentidate Holding Corp. [GAINESVILLE, Ga.] (OTCQB: ADAT) announced that Michael J. Poelking, has been promoted to the position of Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. Mr. Poelking recently joined Aeon Global Health as Senior Director of Finance. Prior to joining Aeon, he provided CFO consulting services to One Direct Health Network, Inc. He also served as CFO of Amendia, Inc. Earlier in his career, he held finance and senior operations positions with several other medium-sized healthcare organizations, as well as at Wilson Sporting Goods Company, where he was the Director of Corporate Accounting & Reporting.
Cadence Design Systems, Inc. [SAN JOSE, Calif.] (NASDAQ: CDNS) announced that John Wall, corporate vice president of finance and corporate controller of Cadence, has been appointed senior vice president and chief financial officer of Cadence. He replaces Geoff Ribar, current CFO of Cadence, who is retiring. Mr. Wall previously served as vice president of finance. At the beginning of his tenure with Cadence, Mr. Wall established the Cadence office in Dublin, Ireland, was European controller and implemented the company's international tax structure.
Catalant Technologies [BOSTON] announced that Anitha Gopalan will join the company as Chief Financial Officer. Before joining Catalant, Anitha was a Vice President of Finance at Rapid7. Prior to Rapid7, Anitha was in Silicon Valley where she held financial leadership roles at iPass, and spent nearly a decade in Ernst & Young.
Intelligent Medical Objects, Inc. [NORTHBROOK, Ill.] announced the appointment of Dan Watanapongse to serve as EVP and Chief Financial Officer. Dan most recently served as SVP and Chief Financial Officer of Sterigenics International. Prior to Sterigenics, Dan has held various leadership roles of increasing responsibility with Sears Holdings, Bosch and SPX. Before SPX, Dan worked at Deloitte and Arthur Andersen.
Open Road Integrated Media [NEW YORK] announced that Daniel Shemesh has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer. Shemesh joined OR/M from Tapad.
Lemonade Restaurant Group [Los Angeles, CA] has named Michael Nishi as Chief Financial Officer. Nishi boasts over 20 years of financial hospitality experience, holding CFO titles with accomplished restaurant companies: Innovative Dining Group, Slater's 50/50, and most recently, Wetzel's Pretzels.
Rubenstein Public Relations [NEW YORK, NY] announced that Michael Isaacson has joined the agency as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Most recently, Isaacson spent 8 years as CFO at DiGennaro Communications. He also held positions as Senior Vice President of Finance at RHI Entertainment, formerly Hallmark Entertainment, and Manager at Ernst & Young.


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ChromeTruk Cycling Shoe - Men's
Item # CRM0061
- 100% Guaranteed Returns
Free Shipping on orders over $50
Truk Cycling Shoe
When toe cages and double straps destroy everything that they come into contact with, durable shoes are crucial. Not only to avoid burning away your money, but so that you don't develop tree knot sized blister scars where the tops of your feet used be. And believe it or not, this ailment is easy to avoid with the Chrome Truk Shoes.
Chrome's Truk Shoes are made from an almost identical fabric to what's used in its messenger bags -- 1000 denier Cordura. As you probably know, this stuff is strong -- like we've had the same Chrome bag for nine years strong. And aside from the upper material selection, Chrome made the whole shoe resilient to the day-to-day thrashings of urban riding. The sole is made from ultra-durable vulcanized rubber, and its also been made skid-resistant for riding/walking in all weather conditions. For construction, Chrome used a board lasted sole to stiffen up the shoes and to eliminate the threat of hot spots.
Outside of Truk's commuter advantages, Chrome made them to be the ultimate freestyle shoe. The heel is protected from bails by a rubber heel cup, and the midsole is reinforced with a nylon/glass fiber shank. Truk's low-profile also makes it easy to get in and out of either toe straps or cages. So, you don't have to go down with the ship when you miss your next smith grind.
The Chrome Truk Shoes are available in whole and half sizes from 5.0 to 13.0 and in the colors Black/black and Grey.
- 1000-denier Cordura uppers
- Vulcanized rubber sole
- Board-lasted outsole
- Rubber heel cup
- Nylon/fiberglass shank
View more Men's Road Bike Shoes
ShimanoSH-RC9 S-PHYRE Cycling Shoe - Men's
SpecializedS-Works 7 Cycling Shoe
SpecializedTorch 3.0 Cycling Shoe
LakeCX238 Wide Cycling Shoe - Men's
SpecializedTorch 2.0 Cycling Shoe
What do you think about this product?
January 9, 2018
Look great, durability and design issues
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
These shoes look great, are made out of a super durable fabric, and have good grip for their intended purpose of bike commuting on flat pedals. Unfortunately, they haven't held up very well overall. After wearing them a few months, the sole started coming unglued in the back on both shoes and I've had to use Shoe Goo to re-glue it a couple of times. The lace eyelets are also sharp and keep slicing my shoelaces in half. A strange problem. Finally, I'm not sure what it is, but these shoes make my feet sweat and stink more than just about anything I've owned. All small problems on their own - but altogether, they sort of limit my stoke on these shoes.
Dana Holmes
July 3, 2017
They do the trick
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
- 8.5
- Height
- 5` 6"
- Weight
- 145 lbs
Took a few days to break in, but they're comfy enough. I like the durability of the canvas material. I can really ride hard without worrying about my feet, which is pretty much the idea. For questions on footwear, or any other performance apparel, hit me up directly!
David Harris
May 21, 2017
Basic, Just the way i like it
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
- Fit:
- True to size
- Height
- 5` 5"
- Weight
- 150 lbs
I like Chrome shoes because the fit is great. Tight enough for mellow communing on a bike but loose and comfortable enough to hang out in. This is my second pair and is basically the low profile version of the high tops that I bought during the winter. I got the black and grey colorway and it looks exactly like the photo. One thing that isn't mentioned in the description or tech spec's is that these shoes have subtle reflectors on the back to be more visible at night. The only reason why I took a star off is because I think the ergonomics of how the shoe moves with my foot could also be improved a little.
Nicholas Dey
May 1, 2017
I've owned...
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
- 9.5
4 pairs of these now if I'm counting correctly. Great shoe, stiff at first but break in nicely. Not sure if others have had lemons but every pair that I have owned has lasted me longer than I had originally hoped (1yr.)
Sunn Kim
April 26, 2017
Fell apart quickly
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
- Fit:
- True to size
Started falling apart after a month. became useless by 3 months.
April 26, 2017
Didn't hold up long
These were bought for my boyfriend but I have feedback to share. The sole on these started separating within the first month of purchase. After about 3-4 months they were totally falling apart. Granted they were used pretty hard but I expected more use out of them than a few months. They were also pretty uncomfortable.
December 7, 2016
Are these shoes breathable? How do they feel in the hot and humid summer?
M. Katherine S.
November 4, 2016
My Favorite Shoe so far
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
- 9
- Height
- 5` 10"
- Weight
- 155 lbs
I got myself a pair of these shoes when I started doing Bike delivery for Jimmy Johns and they quickly became my favorite shoe for both lounging and biking with straps. The sole is awesome and firm for a quality power transfer of your energy into the pedals, while the upper is made of super strong 1000D Cordura, the same material that the best messenger bags are made of. It is way stronger than any canvas shoe for wear and tear and has lasted me 3 years now of heavy usage - about every other day. My old pair have pretty damaged soles, but are still wearable! I always wear wool socks with them and I can say that they stay smelling way better than any other shoe I have owned. I just bought my second pair and I am excited to break them in!
David Lenz
September 6, 2016
Good Low Profile Shoe
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
- 12
- Height
- 6` 3"
- Weight
- 210 lbs
This is my second pair of Chrome sneakers. As is to be expected, it's the details that make them standout of the pack. Thick soles, comfortable fabric, and a good eye for aesthetics are all part of the draw here. While the shoes are obviously intended for urban cycling, my use is perhaps a touch different. I'm relying on these shoes for fencing practice twice a week. The flat, but supported sole is ideal for good footwork and the low profile construction doesn't interfere with the rest of my equipment.
Ben Kuhns
July 27, 2016
2Bolt Shoes?
I was looking for 2 bolt shoes that I could wear off the bike. These shoes seemed to fit the bill. I ordered and received them and the sole of the shoe does NOT support clips.
Frank P.
Nicholas V.
July 28, 2016
How can you rate them 1 star for this? The pictures clearly show no clips AND they do not say anywhere in the description that they do support clips...
April 26, 2017
I think these may be what you are looking for, https://www.backcountry.com/chrome-truk-pro-shoe-mens?rr=t I hope that helps!
July 5, 2016
Comfortable Everyday Shoe
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
- 10.5
- Height
- 6` 1"
- Weight
- 150 lbs
A great everyday shoe. I walk around all day in these, they feel great. I have had no issues with them as of yet. These have a very solid sole. They run just a bit larger than other Chrome shoes I've had, but to me they aren't even a half size larger.
Bill Ison
May 1, 2016
The only shoe for me
- Familiarity:
- I've put it through the wringer
- Fit:
- True to size
- Size Bought
- 10
- Height
- 5` 9"
This is a great all around shoe. Not only does it look great in black and gum, but it is functional as well. The sole is stiff enough to comfortably pedal a road or mountain bike. Initially, the canvas on the shoe is incredibly rigid, but does break in after multiple uses.
Sunn Kim
May 7, 2015
How would these be for mountain biking?
January 16, 2015
Chrome Gym Shoes
I bought the shoes for my daughter but she has to return them because they are a little too big.
Marilyn D.
September 16, 2014
Excellent quality , fits true to size
These shoes do not disappoint. Very well made and comfortable.
April 19, 2014
Chrome truk
I purchased the clipless pair and I could not be happier. Being a biology teacher, I'm blessed with the ability to dress funky and casual, so I was looking for a shoe I could ride to work in and wear all day. I have a twelve mile commute each way, with ~ 600' of elevation, so no slouch of a commute. These shoes hold up to me standing up on the hills and zooming on the flats. They have good weather protection for they are made of pretty thick cordura, and the soles are thick and stiff. I will probably have to change my cleats three times before these bad boys wear out. As for wearing all day, basically they work. I am on my feet, moving around the classroom 75% of my day. I also run up and down four flights of double stairs at least four times a day. They have the support to make my arches and shins happy. The toe lifts up a tad to allow for the cleats not to hit while walking, but it still does slightly (currently wearing Crank Brothers). As for the look, there are fine. Basically they are a simple Chuck style, which is my previous shoe of choice. Overall, I highly recommend these to anyone. They may look a little funny on my carbon speedster, but for the function, fit and practicality they cannot be beat. Btw, I currently wear 44 Specialized, 44 Sidi, 44 bontrager and size 10 Chucks, but for these I am definitely a 9.5. Don't be fooled when you first try them on for they are tight when new, but loosen up after riding a few times.
November 19, 2013
Style and Safety
- Familiarity:
- I've used it several times
- Fit:
- True to size
Initially I purchased the Truk directly from Chrome website but have to return it because size 10 proved to be smaller than I have expected reading the other reviews. I am usually 10.5 with sneakers (Vans, Converse...) so I went for .5 smaller but anyway, Chrome does not have any 10.5 no more. Lucky me I ran into this site and ordered a 10.5. Love the shoes, the style is definitely a winner and to have that secured feeling while riding a bike gives it a plus. The overall materials used not only looked sturdy but also feels the same without sacrificing comfort. I will definitely pick another pair soon. Re the size issue I'd say for me, it is true to size.
Noel R.
March 18, 2013
Low profile tank
This shoe is glorious. Enough said right? Not really, this shoe dominates because of the specific details that you search for in a shoe for ripping on a bike. This shoe is geared for biking, being that the sole is thick and sturdy, and the canvas its made of is SUPER waterproof and hefty against toe cage bashing. With that being said, its low profile, has two great color schemes, it's something you can wear around town, unlike their line of SPD compatibles. Chrome has stated that these run a half size larger than your normal sneakers, which is quite true. I got an 11.5 to have my toes comfortably in, the 12 allowed too much room. (wayyy too sketchy riding without brakes and not having complete response in your pedals) Ultimate decision - great looking, incredibly functional in areas that other sneakers can fail in, (terms of biking) and you'll notice your feet will feel LOCKED IN.
Eric Poole
November 18, 2012
Are these men's sizes or women's? Chrome...
Are these men's sizes or women's? Chrome Truk.
Linda Turner
June 14, 2013
Hello Linda, these are men's sizes.